Best Bites in Pleasanton

Gan and Sabio are taking the city's dining scene to a whole new level.

By Nicholas Boer

Published: January 19, 2016

On back-to-back nights in December, I dined at restaurants that appeared to have an unremarkable connection: Both had just opened in Pleasanton. Here, the similarities seemed to end. Gan debuted quietly on an unmarked side street; Sabio on Main made a grand entrance in the center of town. Gan’s understated dining room was dressed in serene green and wood tones; Sabio was designed to dazzle—a feast for the eyes.

The driving force behind both restaurants, however, is a philosophy in which detail defines every dish (even when playful presentations downplay that sophistication). The chefs at both spots honed their skills at San Francisco’s best kitchens, but whereas Gan’s Peter Jee Oh Chung channels his talents into a modern Korean style, Sabio’s Francis X. Hogan delivers a wide-ranging selection of global small plates.

Their innovative menus might seem out of place in a city with hometown appeal, but consider how rural NorCal towns such as Healdsburg and Calistoga have become dining Meccas. Like Sonoma and Napa, Livermore Valley wine country can nurture and support ambitious restaurants: It’s a destination where the likes of Gan and Sabio have become pioneers rather than anomalies. If nothing else, Pleasanton is proving it can maintain its charm while giving more urban towns like Walnut Creek a run for their dining dollar.

So what makes these restaurants so special? “Simply delicious” best sums up Chung and Hogan’s food. But by deconstructing their dishes and looking behind the curtain, you can appreciate why these restaurants are a big deal, and how they are setting a new standard for the Tri-Valley and Contra Costa.

Take, for example, Chung and Hogan’s riffs on pork belly and beef cheeks—two of today’s top chefs’ favorite ingredients.

Chung’s pork belly is a masterful balance of rich and lively, the meat slow braised with Korean dates and chili peppers. The fat-rich pork comes on tender cranberry beans dressed with sesame oil and smoky black vinegar. Earthy wild mushrooms and curlicues of puffed pork skin finish off the dish.

Hogan’s pork belly—butchered in house from Kurobuta pigs—is brined for two days with citrus, chilies, and coriander; cooked sous vide for 14 hours; compressed overnight; and portioned into even blocks. When ordered, the pork is seared, layered with celery root mousse, spiked with pomegranate, and dusted with pulverized pistachio praline. It’s an explosion of flavor.

Chung calls his beef cheeks lacquered in ginger and soy—my favorite dish of all—his “meat and potato” dish. Its preparation is even more intricate than the pork belly, but it has all the salty-sweet appeal of Korean kalbi. Whereas those classic kalbi short ribs are typically served with rice, Chung’s plump cheeks are paired with creamy-crisp potatoes and buttery Broccolini. A silky sunchoke and sesame puree underneath, and crispy sunchoke chips sprinkled on top balance the plate.

Hogan does a riff on poutine—that french fries and gravy indulgence—to accompany his 12-hour-braised grass-fed beef cheeks. The accompanying potato wedges are brined, blanched, and fried in beef tallow to produce a fluffy fry with a crackling shell; the gravy is reduced beef braising jus enriched with port and sweetened with caramelized onions. Fresh mozzarella curds complete the poutine. It’s a dish as whimsical as it is rich.

A bevy of beverage offerings elevate each restaurant’s cuisine even further. Gan’s bar is a tenth the size of Sabio’s (as a tapas-style restaurant, Sabio’s bar is its centerpiece), but both offer a half-dozen signature cocktails and another half-dozen beers on tap. Sabio’s wine program—overseen by general manager Matt Clasen—is as carefully sourced as the food. Gan’s mostly California wine list isn’t nearly as ambitious, but the bar offers a refreshing selection of refined rice wines and Korean spirits.

Over several visits to these two restaurants, there have been some misfires, including cold or clunky dishes at Sabio, and shallow or overbearing service staff at Gan. All new restaurants are a work in progress: The important thing is to have a solid concept, which both of these do. The eclectic nature of the food and drink presents a steep learning curve for all, customers included. But it’s this very challenge that marks Sabio and Gan as exceptional restaurants.

To end at the beginning, my starters on that December weekend tell the whole story: Chung’s hiramasa sashimi with charred and pickled grapes came with a mind-boggling array of garnishes that harmonized the dish; Hogan’s Wagyu beef Vietnamese salad brought together the best of our region’s produce—including live microgreens (snipped to order).

The passion invested in each chef’s dishes is palpable. And Gan and Sabio suggest a new, exciting direction for Pleasanton—giving the city’s dining scene a nice jolt and cementing its reputation as a destination for a great meal.

Faces

During the fifth annual Celebrate John Muir Health gala, more than 700 guests gathered at the Concord Jet Center at Buchanan Field and enjoyed cocktails,
a stellar dinner, music, dancing, and a live auction. The sold-out, outer space–themed party raised a record $2.25 million to support John Muir Health’s neurosciences services.

The Redford Center held its inaugural benefit at August Hall in San Francisco, honoring rapper Jaden Smith with The Robert Redford Award for his environmental activism. After the ceremony, guests enjoyed libations, bites, and a performance by actor Sean Hayes—raising more than $275,000 for the environmental nonprofit.

Common Sense, one of the nation’s leading technology nonprofits, held its 15th annual celebration at San Francisco City Hall. The night consisted of a cocktail reception and a sit-down awards dinner that recognized the visionary policy-makers, educators, and media creators—including Oakland native and Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler—who are helping children thrive in the digital world.

Pledge to Humanity hosted its 10th annual fundraising gala at the Round Hill Country Club in Alamo, bringing in more than $300,000 for the nonprofit’s local and international programs that empower young change-makers to participate in service opportunities. The soiree featured a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a multicourse dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing.

Approximately 150 gardening aficionados came together at the Hilton Concord to support the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek and raised $72,000 over the course of the evening. Attendees were treated to dinner, drinks, auctions, and a magic show. Walnut Creek Councilmember Cindy Silva was honored with the Golden Barrel Award for Philanthropy on behalf of the garden.

Oakland’s Chabot Space and Science Center transformed into a magical, mysterious wonderland for its annual gala, which raised more than $240,000 for science education. The evening featured specialty cocktails, a multicourse
dinner, a live auction, and a Halloween-themed after-party.

Approximately 1,400 people participated in the annual family-friendly fundraiser at Pleasant Hill Middle School, which featured an array of activities—including mini golf, carnival games, face painting, and a pumpkin patch—as well as food trucks, music, and dancing. Proceeds benefited the Down Syndrome Connection of the Bay Area, which has provided vital programs, resources, and support for individuals with Down syndrome for 20 years.

In celebration of its popular November food issue, Diablo magazine hosted its 15th annual culinary extravaganza, which brought in nearly $4,000 for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. Guests came together in Walnut Creek’s Broadway Plaza to enjoy mouthwatering fare from top East Bay restaurants; pours from numerous wineries, breweries, and distilleries; and DJ beats.

East Bay arts supporters found themselves in good spirits at this fundraiser for the Lamorinda Arts Council, as they sampled more than 20 craft cocktails created by local bartenders vying for the Audience Favorite, Art of Staging, Top Amateur, and Mixologist of the Year awards. The cocktail tasting and competition took place at Orinda Theatre Square and raised more than $10,000.

More than 120 guests joined Contra Costa Oncology for a Mexican-
themed bash at Rotator Taproom in Walnut Creek, raising nearly $5,000 for the Cancer Support Community San Francisco Bay Area. Attendees noshed on tasty bites from the Madd Mex Cantina food truck, sipped micheladas and beer, and donned mustaches in honor of Movember—an annual multinational event that encourages men to grow mustaches to raise awareness of men’s health issues.

Metallica and Janet Jackson headlined the ninth annual benefit concert for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals. Thousands attended the performances at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium and Civic Center Plaza as well as the pre- and post-show parties in San Francisco City Hall, raising $10 million for medical research.